2.6
Quality4.1
Difficulty38%
Would Retake195
Reviews38%
Would Retake
195
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
37
4
30
3
29
2
27
1
72
What Students Say
“Her example problems and tests are very hard, you must understand the material better than she teaches in class”
CHEM322B - 3.0 rating“insensitive toward student's personal problems”
322B - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
55%
Textbook Required
21%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.81 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM102
5.0
(3)CHEM103
4.7
(3)C105B
3.7
(3)CHEM105B
3.2
(31)322B
2.9
(27)Difficulty by Course
322B
4.5
CHEM322A
4.3
CHEM322B
4.3
322A
4.2
CHEM203
3.7
Reviews (195)
Good professor, cares about what she is teaching. Clear instruction and very willing to help anyone who is in need of help.
She's a very nice professor, i thought. Certainly helpful...and most definitely easy on the eyes. Ask around, its pretty much one thing everyone can agree on
The subject is difficult, but she is an amazing professor. lectures are clear. GO TO HER OFFICE HOURS! she will help you in any way she can. terrible class, awesome professor
Really good professor. Let us know exactly what was going to be on the midterms and her lectures were so well done that I rarely needed to read the sections in the textbook. Gave me a really good foundation for Chemistry. She does do in class worksheets that you have to be there in order to get credit for.
great teacher; responds very promptly to emails; gives you practice exams that are pretty much identical to the real exam. worksheets are easy and you get help and points for being there/doing them. she's a really good lecturer and obviously she's beautiful but she's also an amazing professor. very happy i took her
Got a great grade, but not because of her teaching. Do practice questions and read the book and you'll be fine, but her lectures are unclear and unhelpful. If there wouldn't have been clicker points, I would have never gone to class. She also seems unprofessional, and very disinterested in the subject matters she teaches about.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER. I am not a science major, but this is supposed to be a class for non science majors, and while the first professor in the class made sense, she didn't, and made all of her exams INSANE. I would have had an A in the course if she had not taken over. Confusing, SO boring, and inconsistent with exams- messed everyone's grades up
Tests cover stuffs that we didn't learn in class..
Only reason I went to class was for dat chili pepper. Everything was on the slides. Last chapters were condensed.
She does not explain concepts well. When she lectures, it sounds very unprepared and unclear. I studied hard and did pretty well. Self-study with the material is key!
BELIEVE ME THIS IS A REALLY REALLY EASY CLASS! Professor Broyer was extremely crystal clear, and the lectures were highly systematic. She was really really nice and willing to give out extra points. I got really high grade on this class. Very recommended for GE3 requirement. As long as you are not "science phobic".
Professor Broyer is a fantastic professor if you're willing to pretty much use her lectures as a supplement to your own self-study. Definitely do all the book problems and the practice exams TWICE! I personally didn't find SI too helpful since the book does such a great job at explaining everything. Also, the powerpoints are really great too!
Prof Broyer demonstrated the best knowledge and she is an amazing professor
Very smart, young, and relatable professor who clearly knew her stuff and communicated it well. Cute, too. Very glad she's teaching organic next semester.
Very easy course. Prof Broyer was crystal clear. Lab and lectures were super easy. Interesting demos.
Dr. Broyer is so kind and funny. She's always offering to help on worksheets and is always asking to make sure we understood whatever she just went over. I feel so much better about my chemistry abilities because of her. I would totally take her again if I could. As long as you listen to her lectures an do the examples with her, you'll do fine!
Her example problems and tests are very hard, you must understand the material better than she teaches in class. The only way to get a grade above a C (even if you're a good student) is to use copious outside resources. Get a tutor to teach you fundamentals, because she goes over basics, and tests cover complex problems.
Loved her - funny, clearly knows exactly what she's talking about, and super cute. Some tests were tough but I think the curving was very generous. Definitely take any class you can with her, I had her for 105b and she was great there too.
Don't take Broyer. She's unhelpful and her exams aren't fair. Seriously. Exams were not representative of the material she taught.
Broyer is literally goals. So cute and so smart, and most importantly a breath of fresh air for a pre-med class in that she doesn't entertain the stupid questions that gunners ask merely to have their voices heard. Absolutely available to answer serious questions you may have though. Loved her, sad I don't have any more classes to take with her!
This class is obviously difficult by itself. Broyer does a decent job of explaining everything, but you're still going to have to do tons of work on your own. She's pretty neutral as a professor, it's hard because it's ochem so you have to study alot on your own anyways, and the tests aren't super easy but aren't unreasonably hard either.
She really has no idea what she is talking about and is very boring. She just reads off her slides and does really basic problems on her tests. Her tests are not extremely difficult, but do not expect to be inspired by her teaching. Try to find a different Chem lecturer if possible.
She completes practice problems on the slides and uploads them which is helpful. Test-material is straight-forward and the tests are generally easy. Straightforward teaching & easy to follow.
so nice. really funny. super nerdy. crazy hot
Rebecca is amazing; pretty, smart, crazy cute. I hear her orgo class was brutal but her gen chem II was no harder than gen chem I. she's still not a fan of partial credit so mistakes and gd sig figs can build up, other than that just do the practice test. it's the lab that takes the most work be prepared to be screwed over by Skibo
I liked how she posted her Power Points ahead of time so that notes could be taken before class. This class was difficult, like any other Chemistry class, but she definitely did a good job teaching the material and is passionate about Chemistry!
Professor Broyer is a great choice for General Chemistry. She uses a combination of lectures, in-class experiments, and homework to ensure students understand material. She always answers questions and asks questions as well. Her exams are pretty straight forward and mimic practice exams. I hope to have her again for organic. I definitely recommend
Take this class at another university, if Broyer is the only one teaching it. Her easiest test question is 10x harder than any question she puts on the practice test. There's no homework so the tests are worth that much more. She has no regard for the success of her students. No matter how many SI sessions you attend it doesn't help.
she is a solid, but not exceptional, teacher. The subject is hard, and she does a decent job of teaching it
she was hard but everything she gave was more or less fair game. I actually liked her better than the other profs because she tried to be cheerful and keep the class entertaining at times. She is also rly passionate about ochem
Wasnt a huge fan. She knows the subject and isnt a bad lecturer. Her lecturing style is really confusing though - ochem was horribly taught. Buffers were not well explained either. Rely on outside sources if you must take this professor, but dont panic if shes your only option.
Dr. Broyer is a wonderful professor. I had her for CHEM105B and thought she was fine, but I loved her for ochem. She explains things clearly and is very helpful both in and outside of class. I expected to hate ochem, but I truly enjoyed this course, and I look forward to having her again next semester!
This was Broyers first time teaching OChemA and I think she did a great job. Her lectures are extremely helpful and she takes most of her test questions from the textbook HW Qs, so I would def recommend staying current with HW. 4 quizzes, 3 midterms, and a final. You get to drop your lowest quiz and ur worst midterm is replaced by final if higher.
I've had her for 105B, 322A, and now 322B. She is great at explaining concepts in Organic chemistry and allots plenty of time for students to come visit her in OH and tutorial sections to go over tricky concepts. I feel like some don't like her because she can respond and be "sassy" sometimes but I think it adds some fun to class. Choose her!
Ok teacher. Doesn't really explain concepts that well (rely on SI and online sources) and is really sassy/mean in class but more receptive in office hours. Tests are easy (exactly like the worksheets she provides) with no trick questions. Overall solid professor, wouldn't prefer to have her but if you do, don't worry you'll be fine!
Doesn't lecture well. Keeps notes at her desks that she reads off of with no effort to explain it well; rude in class. Tests are NOT anything like the worksheets she provides - the test questions are MUCH harder than any problems she / textbook gives. She also focuses on the most minuscule details during exams that were barely covered in class.
Taught second half of 105b. Sassy in class. For lectures, she gives one practice example per concept and then moves on to the next. She loves organic chemistry, so expect her to go in depth in that section. Didn't have many practice homework problems or practice exams shared with the class. Go to SI and review her PPT to get strong grades on exams.
Make sure you go over the powerpoints because she has some random, very obscure questions. Her tests are hard and SIs warned me that they were very "creative" (not in a good way). Work hard. But also there are some cushions to grades like quizzes and lab (if you can deal with Skibo).
Her half of the course is more science based. This is a GE that is marketed as being doable for non-science majors, but she is NOT good at teaching beginner chem students. She sounds like she's reading from a script during lecture and her exam questions seemingly come out of no where. And omg the TAs, though... They don't understand the subject
She doesn't make an effort to get to know her students, especially the ones that go to office hours. She looks down on us in a way because we're not as good at chem as she is.. She thinks we have a better understanding than we do. She's just not good at explaining material. Go to office hours, though. They're helpful sometimes.
Currently in medical school and I still think about how condescending and inaccessible Professor Broyer was during Chem 322-B. Without a doubt the worst professor I had at USC. Avoid if possible!
Fast-paced lectures. The practice exams given weren't representative of the exams. Her exam averages were lower than Jung but she offers small extra credit ops. No curve & the final can replace your grade (but it's hella hard). Overall she is fine and fair but nothing outstanding. Hope for good SI leaders who will make you nice packets! :)
The class itself is insane. "made for non-science majors" is a complete lie. Intense amount of O-Chem and BioChem first half of the semester and Broyer doesn't make it easy. Makes you think the exams will be based off her summary slides and practice questions when in reality they are insanely more difficult. Don't take this class or her.
Organic chemistry itself is a difficult subject, but as long as you attend lecture and do the homework problems that Dr. Broyer assigns to practice, you should be fine. Make sure you take her practice exams as well, as they are representative of the exams and a good way to solidify the concepts. Overall, she is a very fair professor.
She may seem nice but she gives unnecessary difficult exams. Compared to the other classes, we had must harder questions. To get a good mark in the class it is mandatory to do the textbook problems. Although the final was told to be cumulative, it was not. Make sure to study the most recent reactions taught.
Terrible Professor. The exams were difficult and although there was extra credit it was not enough to offset the difficult exams. Make sure to read the chapters before coming to class because the lectures are fast-paced.
Her tests are very specific and difficult to study for. The exams are not reflective of the practice exam. I would not recommend this professor.
really good at teaching and gives fair tests, but she's a really rude person
Dr. Broyer is great lecture and most people who complain about her class probably didnt study smart. Do the practice exams and learn common patterns for reactions which will make the 2nd half of the course easy. The only really tricky exam is the 2nd one because you learn initially hard concepts very quickly. Other then that exams are fair!
Shes honestly a great lecturer and the material sticks in your head! Her tests were challenging but fair. I remember being completely lost in an exam, and still did fine because of partial credit. Didnt enjoy the 6 Group Quizzes, but it helped you keep up with the material. Offers extra credit that can boost your grade up alot! Lab grade matters.
Gives a false sense of actually caring about her students, doesn't put effort into creating new content, steals a lot of the internet and claims she has "copy right" prohibiting distribution. Tests are convoluted and not reflective of what she teaches in class.
Prof Broyer is not great overall. In fact, she's one of the worst profs I've ever had. Her tests are unnecessarily hard. She's a decent lecturer, not amazing, not awful either. She can come off as rather indifferent towards her students just because she's very blunt and straight-forward with her responses, which some students may find unappealing.
Okay...I literally stopped listening to Broyer lecture to fill out this review because she's THAT BAD. To any student looking to take Ochem next semester, AVOID THIS PROFESSOR. FOR REAL. She is incredibly rude, reads off her slides like a script, and gives assignments on material she hasn't taught yet. A terrible professor -- @usc what are you doin
Taking her for the fall 2020 semester and really advise you to avoid her if you can. Very bad with online teaching- terrible explanations and time management. She's given us multiple assignments that we have yet to learn and is rude in class when anyone asks a question. Everyone I know currently in the class in very upset with how she's teaching.
I can not echo the other reviews enough. This semester she has lectured at a breakneck speed without explaining difficult concepts. Lectures new material on a Monday and tests us on it less than 24 hours. Sure, she gives 24 hour exams, but they are more difficult than anything seen/covered in class. Extremely rude to students as well. AVOID!!!
Pretty average professor. Records lectures and includes a TON of extra problems you can do if you want/need help. Her exams are a bit more difficult than what you learn in class, but that's fair given the 24-hr time limit. But if you are asynchronous, AVOID AT ALL COSTS! For every one hour lecture, you have to turn in like 30 problems from the book
Dr Broyer is condescending, rude, apathetic, and extremely difficult to reach outside of class. Sends hypocritical emails about being respectful to her/TAs without doing the same to students spending hours on her class. Asynchronous tests cover material she didn't teach + is hardly covered in the book. Take Bert, you'll learn & be prepared for 322B
I thought the 24-hour exams were going to be awesome, but they were terrible. Many of the concepts on the tests were not covered in lecture. Broyer goes so fast in lecture I can't even write things down! Excessively long practice exams that you have to turn in every week also, like 11 pages? Cmon. This class is a lot of work, be prepared :/
Explained things in a very convoluted way, often using the exception to explain the rule. Slide diagrams were copied straight from the textbook and exam sometimes tested material not covered in class. Lectures were condescending. 24 hour tests were not worth the love of learning slowly but surely draining away.
I took 322A with Broyer during Fall 2020 and thought she was a fair professor with the exam, homework and class style. The weekly practice exams were a bit long but overall enjoyed the structure of how she ran her class. Hope she does it the same for 322B
I took all of OCHEM with Broyer two years ago and was worried like many other students about missing out on Kyung. Though she's not perfect, I feel like she was overhated. Her class to be relatively straightforward since she her lectures tended to have a good balance of theory and problem solving. Quizzes and SI were representative of midterms imo.
I took Broyers class semester and did not enjoy it at all. On many occasions she would answer rudely to students who asked questions and she also gave out 10+ page long homework assignments. Our tests were like puzzles and often included concepts we barely went over in class. Not a professor I would want to learn OChem from
Problem sets: more than 10 pgs due on Sundays, but on exam weeks its extra special & releases on the day of the exam (Thurs) Exam grading differs by TA way too much. No motivation in teaching and tires out students. Im not expecting an engaging ochem class but at least pretend like you want to be here... RIP my tuition and #returnkyung
Weekly problem sets can be very time consuming, but good practice for the tests. All her tests were take-home/ open note and we had about 20 hours to complete. Ended up teaching myself pretty much from the book. There is a final project, which really helps save your grade and there was a pretty significant curve.
I dont care if I ended with an A (barely). This class was the WORST. Her exams literally made me cry multiple times (took the entire <24 hrs to complete). Had to teach myself everything because her lectures are so verbose and convoluted. Even then, I felt like I learned so little & now have a weak foundation for the mcat. Nice person though ig.
Professor Broyer was pretty nice in general. Her exams were representative of material covered in lecture, and although I took her class online during the summer, she was very understanding of the fact that I was in a different time zone. She genuinely wants you to succeed, so if you put in the effort then it won't be too difficult.
I think Dr. Broyer gets a bad rap because OChem is tough. I honestly enjoyed her class. She can be a little sarcastic sometimes, but once you get past that she's accommodating, patient, and always willing to answer questions. Her grading system makes it pretty easy to pass the class, although you'll probably have to work hard if you want an A.
Lectures are insanely heavy and too fast-paced. Broyer is an ok lecturer, but she seems to explain things in a way that's difficult to understand. Self studying + self teaching definitely required for this class if you hope to get an A. Make sure you do the lab assignments, since they can definitely carry your grade.
Tests and quizzes are based off the lectures and textbook! Read the textbook before coming to class and DO THE ASSIGNED PROBLEMS!
first time reviewing on here, but i wanted to set some things straight for future students. professor broyer isn't a bad teacher. after all, it is ochem so its gonna be tough. her tests are straight forward and she is clear on what she expects which i can appreciate. but this prof can be cold/mean at times. some were scared to ask her questions.
To those who dont think she was that bad for 322A: just wait until you take 322B with her
I got an A but no thanks to her! She is one of the most horrible lecturer, just reads off her slides. She grades really hard, partial credits are rarely given out. I am skipping her O Chem-B. The homework she assigns are indiscriminate, she assigns the whole damn book.
We all know that OChem is not an easy class by no means. It is intended to be a weeder class and a lot of people will find this class challenging. However, Professor Broyer provided a clear grading criteria and offers plenty of homework and practice to do prior to exams that reflect the material that one needs to know.
This class is genuinely the hardest thing I've ever done and I was not prepared for the time commitment. Broyer is not really understanding and didn't curve grades at all. She goes through material super quickly without enough test-representative examples during class. Make sure you set aside time to do every single assigned problem more than once.
Such a terrible class. She rushes through material and does not explain ANYTHING. Get ready to learn the material on your own.
I had Dr. Broyer for CHEM322A and CHEM322B. She was very accommodating and understanding during covid. That being said, she was often very dismissive towards questions. Tests were extremely difficult and included concepts not taught during lecture, however, the final project will help boost your grade. Do yourself a favor and take ochem elsewhere.
Lectures cover lots of content very quickly but her slides are helpful. Self studying is mandatory. She says students who do the assignments (which are a lot) 3 times fully will get an A, but no one has that much time so the blame of not getting an A is put on students themselves. Exams (4 total) are clear but can be tricky. No/barely any curve.
Your standard ochem professor but with added oomph. Teaches at break-neck speeds, relearn the content out of class. Exams test on problem-solving and intelligence as much as they do content and preparation.
I'm very good at organic chemistry and taking this class made me doubt literally my major. She's not good at teaching, just reads the slides, and so essentially you're required to learn the material yourself. Tests are NOT similar to problems she shows us. So good luck if you have her.... you're gonna need it.
Dr. Broyer is a good professor but she was not transparent about exam averages. Didn't give much extra credit and doesn't really curve. Her classes had a lot of material so self-studying was definitely a must. Isn't as bad as some say but definitely understand other's frustration. Tests were difficult and people barely got As on them.
Very ineffective lecturer who went way too fast. not explaining the "why" behind many concepts. Doing well on her exams is difficult because they are not representative of the practice material. Also, she was also very unapproachable for help/questions. Overall, made the class more stressful than it needs to be. Would avoid if possible.
I had to review material covered in slides after every class to understand what she talked about because she went so fast. Test material was taken from three different places: slides, textbook, workbook. SI was helpful but test problems were much, much harder. Overall, she isn't very accessible outside of class except for email.
Lectures are dense and are mostly based on Bruice textbook, so not super helpful. Minimal partial credit on exams and quizzes. Review problem sets beforehand! Professor doesn't answer many questions during lecture, so visit Office Hours.
Pre-health students should avoid her at all costs. She will make sure to test you on things that are not taught in class to make sure people do badly. Worst class so far. Would never make the mistake of taking ANY class with her
awful. horrendous. Prof. Broyer was an insensitive, uncaring, and quite frankly rude professor. Be afraid if you ever need to talk to her outside (or inside) of class. She will condescend you and be no help at all. You're practically meant to fail her class. Quizzes and tests had extremely random information you never learned. Don't. Take. Her.
Broyer's course will ruin your semester. I spent more time studying for this course than all of my other courses combined and I still get minimal results. The tests often contain concepts she does not review in class, and she is not very helpful at office hours. Good luck.
Before you decide take this course, here are few things you should know: - This is NOT an easy A class. Mostly after the first 3 weeks majority of the students drop the course. - Look for external help, simply attending lectures will not be enough. - Broyer is rude and sets confusing papers which she cannot prepare her own students for
Prepare to do work for hours outside of class. Go to SI and do all the practice problem sets to prepare you for exams. Lab wasn't that bad but instead of lab exams you'll have questions about it on your midterms. Everything was strictly graded with very little partial credit and she also changes grading criteria every year which made it confusing.
Most people are used to being able to memorize their way through tests. The nice thing about ochem is that you can do well even if you don't theory much as long as you know the core concepts. Broyer is sarcastic and funny. She's very knowledgeable about the subject and is always able to explain the underlying concepts or why a mechanism occurs.
Speeds through her lectures and examples. The in class ws will be quite difficult if you didnt understand the lecture. Watch the pre-lecture videos and supplement with other YouTube videos. The first two tests werent awful but the third midterm and final were very difficult. You will spend several hours on this class if you want a decent grade.
Broyer speeds through the slides crazyyy fast. This is a fast paced class and she recommends repeating the problem sets and HW 3+ times (as if we are not taking other hard science classes at the same time). She replaces your lowest midterm grade with your final exam. This along with easy grading from lab TAs saved me. Barely any curve!! Good luck!
It's O Chem, can't be super generous here. Broyer speeds through lectures and you have to do a lot of outside work to understand the material. Does give a lot of extra materials and practice problems for test prep, alongside 2 textbooks for additional practice. But with all that, good TA grading in lab saved my grade. Memorize those chemicals!
If you could avoid taking ochem with Broyer I would. Tests have very strict grading and hardly any partial credit. She is hard to reach outside of class, very fast-paced lectures, and can be a little rude in response to questions. Self-study with the problem sets is a must and SI was a lifesaver!! Really really worked for the A.
Dr. Broyer taught for the 2nd half of the semester. I can only speak for 105B but feel that Dr. Broyer had clear expectations and what she said would be on the tests were on the tests. The lectures and the material she provided was enough for me to nearly ace her final. I suggest going to every class and doing the work on time and you will be fine!
Prof. Broyer is a good teacher. She is understanding and cares for her students to succeed. But you must try. Be diligent in your work, and you will be fine. Her lectures are fast-paced and are more helpful if you somewhat understand the material already. Her exams had a mix of easy and hard questions, but as long as you study, you will make it.
Ochem is generally a very difficult course, but it doesn't help when the professor decides to perform a speedrun of every lecture. Multiple chapters were covered in just one lecture, leading to a bulk of information missing. Exams are much harder than the practice, so do the practice, homework, and all SI worksheets for the best chance.
Lectures move incredibly fast, so it would be advisable to skim the textbook before attending. Tests are more difficult than the problems recommended. Be prepared to put in the time. Grading can be somewhat lenient. I failed nearly all the exam and still managed to pass because my lab grade pulled through so not all hope is lost. Wouldn't recommend
Lectures are fast and packed with material, with occasional graded clicker questions. HW & online quizzes weekly. Majority of grade is tests, Lab can help make up points. Stopped curving grades after my semester, now need (90+ for an A) Also she made mistakes in lectures (disagreeing/conflicting information with textbook & SI) which caused chaos.
Read the book and it's pretty easy. Do practice problems.
Terrible professor, doesn't explain concepts well even when students ask questions, has a demeaning attitude as well. Lectures were too fast paced and packed with info. SI and learning assistants were somewhat helpful depending on who was leading them. Broyer did curve the final exam, however, which boosted final grades.
Not too accessible outside of class. Lectures are sometimes disorganized and confusing, further complicating difficult concepts. Can sometimes sound condescending, but answers student's questions and is clear about what is expected for tests. Exams are hard, but can do well if you use outside resources (SI, LA's, youtube) and do practice problems.
This class is a challenge, but Dr. B gives you all the resources to succeed. If you only go to lecture, that's lowkey a mistake. Yes, there is a lot of time involved with this class. If you study consistently throughout the unit, read (if that's your jam), practice problems, attend SI, and put in effort there is 100% hope of getting B or above!
This class is tough, definitely a learning curve for material and also how to learn this material. What helped me was reading, going to SI, and if those aren't your jam I would 100% recommend the practice problems. Her exams are reflective of the materials she provides. Good luck! You got this. Remember, success is B for Broyer
Read the book and you'll be fine. Great professor!
I know Broyer gets a bad rep, but she's doing the best she can for this difficult subject. As long as you do the textbook practice problems + problem sets, you'll be fine. Also, attend SI & office hours if you have any questions. Broyer will be more than happy to help if you have questions for her, so DEFINITELY go talk to her!!
Her lectures are fast paced and she is not approachable. She is condescending and not very understanding of students situations/circumstances. The test questions are more difficult than the practice questions. I would recommend reading the book before her lectures or else you will be confused.
Don't waste your time reading the textbook. Review slides often, do all the problem sets multiple times, and go to SI. Study with friends so you can go over concepts in the slides that you don't understand and work on problem sets together. Broyer is difficult to talk to during office hours and in class, but don't be scared to ask if you need help.
Orgo is a notorious class but I believe Professor Broyer made it much more difficult than needed. Condescending and rude during class and office hours to students who are doing everything they can to stay afloat. However, this class isn't impossible and if you put in hard work you can do well. Practice problems are ESSENTIAL. SI and LAs are gems.
Dr. Broyer is witty and sarcastic and that may put some people off but she truly cares about her students and wants them to succeed. Grading is hard but that's due to the nature of the course rather than her specifically, and she is generous with partial credit if you go see her. Highly enjoyed having her and I feel like I learned a lot.
OChem is going to be hard no matter who teaches it. Broyer was very understanding of my personal circumstances (lab coordinator not so much). She definitely made some changes to this course, it's a lot more manageable because there are SO many opportunities to practice and learn, she's not just shoving content without a way to learn in class.
Broyer is underrated. You don't even really have to read the book, but it does help. Ochem is a hard class for most people no matter who teaches it, so I think she did a great job.
clearly does not enjoy teaching, reflected in the error prone problem sets that are often inconsistent with lecture and textbook, they are put together with little effort or recycled from previous years. It is still her expectation that you do the majority of learning from these problem sets. insensitive toward student's personal problems
Organic chemistry is a hard class and Broyer does not make it any easier, especially since she is often unclear and is rude in her responses to questions. It is difficult to get an A but definitely not impossible. If you put in the work and go to SI, do all problem sets multiple times, and do all practice problems you will be good!
This class made me love chemistry. The material is difficult and dense so attending lectures, reading the textbook, and doing the homework is a must, but the exams are fair and there are plenty of opportunities for points. Definitely attend office hours; Broyer is available, pleasant, and eager to talk chemistry.
Very polarizing professor as you can see by the ratings. She definitely has favorites and that is obvious to most students in lecture. She can be rude and dismissive in class. Tests are extremely difficult and meant to trick you. Even the learning assistants and TAs can't understand her lessons at times.
Professor Broyer is kind and patient, she takes the time to answer questions and provide feedback that strengthens your ochem and test-taking skills. I am very happy to have been in her class. Ochem is hard in general, but the support system of learning assistants, SI, and office hours was genuinely beneficial to me and made the journey enjoyable.
Prof. Broyer could be better but could also be worse, final grade adjustments are generous. If you have a good science background and get REALLY good grades in lab, then the class is easier. But she is hard to approach if you need help and can be very cold to students. If you don't get good TA's you can get help from then its basically self teach
She doesn't actually teach you anything: expects you to come to class knowing the entire chapter's material then just gives you practice problems with little to no explanation of the answers. SO MUCH HW; I spent more time doing hw for this class than I did for my other four classes combined. Tests are incredibly hard, and so are the group quizzes.
She gave me trauma. Avoid her.
In my opinion, her style of teaching isn't inclusive to most students. She talks about the topic VERY BRIEFLY in class, and you are expected to fill out the in class worksheet. Professor Broyer also comes off as passive aggressive. Self-studying is mandatory. I walked out the class as confused as I was before attending the class.
322A & B: Broyer is an excellent chemist who does not understand how students struggle with material she is an expert in. She definitely taught a LOT, but her disorganized class structure made things much harder than they needed to be. Her tests were the worst part, though: those trick questions required a completely unrealistic level of mastery.
She is a nice and caring professor. People might have issue with how tough the class is, but it is ochem... Her class prepared me well and if you put in the effort and time, this class is not as bad as it seems.
You're better off reading the textbook - I had to self-teach myself everything in the class as her lectures as extremely fast and unclear. SI and LAs are more helpful, but Broyer makes succeeding impossible - no Zoom, regrades are difficult, etc. Lab is great on the other hand, which'll boost your grade. Broyer did curve at the end though.
Broyer is fine and if you fail this class it's not her fault. Yes OCHEM is pretty difficult but there's tons of practice resources she gives you. Everything that was on a test was covered in the practice problems given. Don't let these salty reviews deter you if you are motivated you will be absolutely fine.
This class is mostly independent studying, tests mostly revolve around textbook information. Broyer was an alright professor, she did her job and that's all there is to it. CHEM 105A professors all teach the same material, but it is not lightwork. Be consistent with your individual studying and you should be fine!
She is bad at explaining sincerely bro. Once Dr Moon subbed in for her and the difference was like night and day. Don't pick her because she doesn't explain basic concepts. If you do get stuck with her, Organic Chemistry Tutor is your friend.
Broyer is a nice and polite professor, but if you can, take it with Parr or Moon (they're better lecturers). There's lots of busy work (guided reading notes, lecture worksheets, weekly hw), but they help you study for tests. Practice tests are provided the week before each test, and do the SI worksheets to help you prepare for the tests.
Broye's quizzes and tests often draw from materials we do not cover in class. Thus, success in this course require an almost impossible level of mastery over fundamental organic chemistry mechanisms for the purpose of this often "mandatory" course for neuro and pre-med students. If you have to have her, understand the mechanisms as much as you can!
Broyer barely teaches anything and then gives you extremely difficult tests. The only saving grace is that she curves the class. Most test questions have no partial credit, even making a small mistake loses you so many points. She says you need to spend 3 hours studying for every lecture, completely ridiculous to dedicate so much time to one class
Probably don't take her for Ochem, but for 105a, the content is fairly easy to self learn and cram before exams. She doesn't suck at explaining concepts but is also not the best help when you ask questions. There is a lot of busy work like assignments due before and after every class and a weekly homework. Exams are also really straightforward.
This class is Ochem so hard tests aren't surprising, however, there's a lot of teaching yourself since she's not great at explaining things. She's really strong at some topics but at others (stereochem lol) she'll just confuse you. do all the homework, SI review, and textbook problems and you'll be fine
Dr. Broyer is honestly a fair professor. Yes, ochem is gonna be hard.... but I honestly learned a lot. She has lots of opportunities for points (worksheets, hw, group quizzes, extra cred) and is super accessible outside of class. She KNOWS ochem is hard and will never judge you for a "dumb question". Exams test your ability to APPLY what you learn
Broyer is a good professor and honestly this class is super manageable. I'm not talking to the scrubs, if you are a motivated student who has been performing well throughout college and doesn't spend all their time on tiktok this class is definitely fine. A lot of people who don't do well in this class don't because they shouldn't be premed.
I had Kyung for 322A and Broyer for 322B, and I was scared to make this switch, but, Dr. Broyer was a really good lecturer, and all the practice she provided us did prepare us for her exams/quizzes. The group quizzes were not super fun (especially the random groups) but overall I feel like I learned a lot & am ready for the OChem part of the MCAT.
attendance mandatory based on in class activity but if you're willing to put the work in to actually understand ochem, it'll be a breeze. huge curve basically got 100% w minimal studying. Focus on pattern recog bc lecture isn't that helpful and you'll do great
Professor Broyer's class is challenging, but engaging study tools like unstuck ai can help you succeed. The material is tough, but her practice problems are valuable if you stay on top of the work.
Great and very caring professor. OChem is hard, so most of the bad reviews are because the class is hard, but she really cares about her students if you let her get to know you
Dr. Broyer is unfriendly and occasionally condescending, making her difficult to approach. In group office hours, she often skips students' questions. However, her lectures are clear, exams are fair, and the course has a big curve with extra credit. Basically got an A with mid-80s exam/quiz averages and minimal effort.
Huge curve in the class. Test averages were D/F but got curved up to an A. Not the friendliest but I tried to only approach the discussion leader when I had questions. Grading is inconsistent on exams. I would put the answers on her lecture slides and on the packets from discussion but would get marked off. Just be above average on exams.
The worst professor I have had at USC. She does not care about her students; her exams are ridiculously hard. Yes, OCHEM is supposed to be challenging, but she is beyond. Kyung is 100x easier.
OChem is a difficult class concept-wise and requires a lot of outside work, but Dr. Broyer offers many resources, including practice questions that resemble exams, LAs, discussion section, and office hours. Don't be afraid to reach out, office hours are very helpful and Dr. Broyer is very kind! Many extra credit opportunities and generous curve.
Broyer is very rude, completely inaccessible, and spends class talking about her personal experiences with chemistry, while making attendance mandatory and assigning class work that she refuses to properly explain. Avoid her class at ALL COSTS. After taking her class I'm considering switching my major. Broyer's the worst professor I've ever had.
worst professor i've ever had.
Unfortunately, Rebecca Broyer is one of the only ochem professors because she's awful. Ochem is already a hard class, and she seemingly goes out of her way to make it as hard and complicated as possible and offers little to no assistance to her students.
rude and inaccessible
worst professor i've ever had by far. her lectures and brightspace is so disorganized. she spends more time making us watch videos and do problems in class than actually teach. reads off a script in videos and in person. constantly stumbles over her words like it's her first time teaching. i don't know how she was hired.
This class should be asynchronous, because she doesn't actually teach anything in lectures, but she forces students to go to class by assigning worksheets you have to submit within a 50 min period, and assigns textbook reading in place of actually teaching like she wants her students to fail. Worst professor at USC, hope she gets fired.
lectures are useless
take literally anyone else. please.
Her class is by far the most disorganized I've been in. There's no reliable information source, she uses 2 textbooks and lecture slides that she doesn't even fully post. Broyer is unapproachable and standoffish. She forces students to attend lectures so she can feel important but the class would be easier to learn without her.
Almost impossible to study for this class, she doesn't make study guides, there are 2 textbooks to get info from, which she doesn't even go over, lecture slides that are never posted in order, tutorial videos contradicting the textbooks, and daily worksheets (anything covered could be on the exam). She also never gives straight answers to questions
Speeds though slides without explaining, expects us to spend hours at home doing readings ans watching her videos, teaches off a script in person, makes lectrures mandatory because of worksheets even though you dont learn anything, she doesnt even upload all her slides and they are often out of order. Worst teacher ive had at usc
Worst professor I have had here. Not accessible, rude, lecture slides don't make sense, does not teach anything, posts 10 minute videos before class and expects you to know the content In time for class, awful. Not entirely sure how she is the ONLY option to take ochem an and b with but do everything in your power to avoid her class.
EASILY the worst professor ive ever had.
PLEASE BRING BACK KYUNG
Most disorganized professor I've had
disorganized, fast pointless lectures, lazy
Teaches you how to self-study ochem. Her lectures are very disorganized and not enjoyable. The tests are easy though, you just need to self-learn everything and trust yourself.
what is happening with these reviews lmao? OCHEM is hard but like are yall for real struggling this much?
Avoid Broyer if you do not want trauma; there is nothing good to say about her. Anyone who likes her says so for the LOR.
Nah don't listen to the other people; they tweakin. the class isnt that bad ngl. study and read textbook
honestly, just go to class. idk why ppl don't show up to class bc she acc makes it so easy for you. I literally got a C+ last semester in chemistry so this was an amazing change. the first thing she said to me was "use ur resources" so I did. Do SI sheets and do practice problems and I swear you'll be fine. she gives equation sheets too. Easy stuff
Horrible avoid at all costs
im traumatized. so unhelpful and backhanded also her lectrures are pointless she just speed runs slides and expects you to understand. avoid if you can
It was horrendous. I am hurt and traumatized forever. She is horrible at teaching, can't teach a fish to swim, and does not care about anyone. Avoid at all costs. The lectures are empty, meaningless, and filled with busy work. You will walk out with zero appreciation of chemistry.
shes just not good at her job.
only good thing about the class was when there was a sub.
If you can DO NOT take her. She does not know how to teach. She does weekly worksheets in class that are easy compared to the exam. All she does is read off the slides and give off mean girl vibes. She was not very approachable and I often felt like she did not like her POC students. The content itself is not terrible. Lab is really easy.
Dr. Broyer is simply a bad professor. Her lectures consist of her reading through slides and occasionally circling a sentence with a rare practice problem that she hardly explains. The exams were all very difficult which was reflected by shockingly low class averages. Her curve is also minimal, don't expect any higher than 1/3 of a letter grade.
The fact that the sub was given a standing ovation the two times she didn't show says enough about Boyer as a professor.
Dr Broyer is kinda rude but she's pretty chill. She's passive aggressive when you ask for help but she also wants you to succeed. The class was way easier than 105A and she actually helps you understand the material. Group quizzes and lab pad your grade too. Can't speak for her Ochem class but take her for 105B.
I honestly don't think other reviews of Prof. Broyer do her justice. She is a bit sassy if you are having difficulty with a topic, but her Learning Assistants are so helpful. Exam questions are really fair, and she goes over lots of practice in class and in homework. I felt like lab portion of 105B was much more difficult than the lecture.
For the first half (stereochem!!) I thought she was the worst prof. But the second half was on reactions, and she improved a lot. I don't think ppl give her credit for the second half, she wasn't amazing but def better. She cares for students and listens to feedback, but the problem is she's not good at teaching hard concepts. Exams weren't bad tho
Mediocre lecturer, just reads off her slides and speeds through examples. Barely curves despite the difficult exams/low averages. Literally did not even write her own final exam... awful awful awful.
Please save yourself and do not take her for ochem. I had her both semesters, and she just reads off the slides and doesn't curve the tests. Kyung is sooooo much easier. Please save your grades.
Professor Broyer offers lots of practice whether it be textbook homework, her problem sets, etc. For the most part, I found her teaching style of having more lecture content done at home through videos and in class worksheets to be a bit difficult sometimes, but they offered more practice and opportunities to ask for help in class.
Yes her demeanor can be a bit hard to adjust to (she is just sarcastic lol), but her exams were reflective of what was taught in lecture. For that reason, going to lecture is essential (especially in the last half of the sem) because she will go over exam content and not post it. Class was curved 2 letter grades (B to A-). A very excellent prof!
She flies through lectures and I ended up just teaching myself with textbook reading and LOTS of youtube videos. If you are willing to do that and dedicate time to her problem sets you'll be fine.
She is a pretty good professor! I think she explains things really well, and she is relatively available outside of lecture! If anything, she may come off as a little rude or cold, but she is nice and willing to help if you ask! The class does require quite a bit of studying outside of class, but It is not too bad unless your bad at chem (like me!)
she wont post the whole answer key to problems that were literally designated for practice outside of class because she decided to try to force already busy students to go to every discussion session. always talks about how hard ochem is and how she wants to make it better but seems to go out of her way to make the class as inconvenient as possible
assignments do not reflect the exam. genuinely confused on how to do well in this class.
What was on the test just was not on the SI review or on the practice exam or the in class assignments so im genuinely confused on how to prepare adequately lmao.
She complains about doing her literal job and gets upset when students put in regrade requests. The difficulty of the exams NEVER match up to the problem sets, worksheets, or homework assignments she assigns as practice outside of class. She speeds through lectures just to cram a bunch of material in.
she just shouldnt be teaching anyone, anything, at all. should find a new career
So I wasn't a fan of her teaching style for 322A because some days would be no lectures and instead just worksheets, but this style lends itself so well in 322B since it's just rxns that you get better at the more you practice. Tbh her extra practice worksheets are harder than the test, so just practice a lot. She genuinely cares for students too
I went to her office hours because she doesn't explain things fully in lecture and she didn't even treat me like a person ngl. I didn't even get her full attention, and was pretty rude the whole time... SI gives you practice exams but it's nothing like the actual exam. Not a single worksheet, homework, or SI worksheet will prepare you.
she makes us do exam reflections but i can't even do it at this point because there aren't enough slots for the questions i got wrong on. i cry everyday thinking about having to see her three times a week. my only wish is for her to use all 50 minutes to teach because i can't do the goddamn in class questions myself if she doesn't teach us how to
save yourself bro
wouldnt take her again if i was paid to. the grading in this class is crazy inconsistent she's so incredibly rude and condescending you would think the students are somehow inconveniencing her by asking questions and TRYING TO LEARN. This is the worst professor Ive ever had. after two semesters with her, i now need therapy + anger management
If you are nice to her and act like you care about her personal life/family (she always talks about them) you will def do better in the class and that speaks for itself
Tests are not reflective of lectures at all. Has us plug-chugging a thousand worksheets per week, only to have each MCQ be worth 4% of the test. You may not learn any chemistry in her class, but you will be a calculator pro by the end of it. Cannot answer a single question without snark during office hours, lectures are 20 mins long. Save yourself.
The strategy for this class is honestly really simple; she lectures as if the session is a review so learn the material prior and you will be fine. Also, stay for the end of lecture to work on the sheets. Struggling through them is helpful. Practice exams were definitely much easier than the real ones, but reworking HW problems is definitely enough
Bombed the first midterm and from there changed my strategy to studying a week in advance doing all practice worksheets until I truly understood all probs (she plugs these practice problems straight into the exam) and going through the slides because exams have conceptual MCQs. Gave extra credit and overall grade curved from a raw B+ to an A.
Notoriously difficult class, but if you go through the textbook homework, problem sets during discussion sections, SI review sheets, you should be prepared for the exams and group quizzes. Used this study plan for both 322A and 322B.
DO. NOT. TAKE. doesn't seem like she wants to be there, mad every day for no reason. Makes you feel like you're inconveniencing her when you ask for help. seems like she hates students and teaching. Expects conceptual understanding on exams when she spends the entire lecture speeding through practice problems to give you time to do her worksheets.
Class Info
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100%
Attendance Mandatory
55%
Textbook Required
21%
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